Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved everything pretty, pink, and magical. So it was only natural that after reading about a little cafe in Anaheim that served Unicorn Hot Chocolate, I try it for myself.

I had just celebrated my birthday and I celebrate the entire week, so I decided to end the week of festivities by driving from LA to Anaheim and try the drink that has taken Instagram by storm. I waited 2 hours in line at the Creme & Sugar cafe and purchased the secret menu items, the Unicorn Hot Chocolate, Unicorn Bark, and Unicorn Cake. I was so excited when I finally had them in my hot little hands because the colors were so vibrant and fun. The pink colored white hot chocolate was piled high with whipped cream, sprinkles, and multicolored marshmallows. The beautiful bark was covered with Lucky Charms, rainbows,sprinkles, and marshmallows, and the pretty pastel layered cake looked so fluffy and moist.

Now this is the hard part…..

I was severely disappointed. The flavor of the white hot chocolate was barely there and the cake was flavorless as well. The only redeeming item was the bark as it was super sweet and the cereal added a nice texture with each bite. That being said, I would not drive an hour and wait another two to partake in these secret menu items again for myself. I would however, bring my friends children to indulge in these treats as I think they would absolutely go bonkers over them and truly appreciate the whimsical nature of all three items. I was completely impressed with the presentation and the anticipation of trying the treats conjured up magical feelings and excitement that brought me back to my childhood, so for that I am delighted.

I am from Nebraska and there are always little stands on the side of the road during the summer months that sell sweet corn. The farmers always tell you it is the best you will ever have. That is the true farm to table goodness that I grew up with and delicious corn I am used to. Well, the sweet corn pudding at STK may not be what I ate as a child, but it sends my tastebuds racing down memory lane with every smooth, creamy, sweet bite. The dish is heavy, but fluffy and features multiple textures, including whole corn kernals to delight your palate. It is one of the best sides I have ever had and dare I say, may outshine some of the main dishes?! It is true and I challenge you to beg to differ with me.

I do not frequent STK, but am always happily reminded that the food is always comforting and I end up savoring every last bite. You can get your fix of the sweet corn pudding in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Miami, or Las Vegas.

I recently discovered the flower delivery service, Bloom That. It is a local company based in San Francisco and now offered delivery here in Los Angeles.

Their concept is beautiful, affordable flowers packaged in burlap with bright orange and white striped bows or in a vase, all delivered in 90 mins! In LA that is quite a feat. I love the idea and the fact that they are making kind gestures and romance accessible to everyone. The prices range from $25-60 and that includes delivery! I mean seriously?! Well done friends at Bloom That, well done.

The gifts start with a single succulent in a wooden box, tea with a treat and bud vase, a bouquet of gorgeous blooms, a larger succulent arrangement, to a small arrangement in a vase. There is something for everyone’s tastes and is sure to brighten anyone’s day. I will certainly be taking advantage of this service and you should too.

I was driving downtown this morning and was stuck in a bit of traffic. I started to get annoyed until I realized I would be passing by California Donuts. My frown flipped upside down to this silver lining to LA traffic.

California Donuts is this small donut shop in a strip mall on 3rd street in Los Angeles. They specialize in fresh donuts that have fun toppings. The bakery offers maple glazed bacon, frosted fruit loop, lucky charms, and the cutest little Panda face donuts to name a few. The confections are so fun, fluffy, and delicious and are sure to brighten anyone’s day. The parking is tricky, but it is worth it to circle around.

The shop is located at 3540 W 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA and is open 24 hours so you can get your sugar fix.

I was super skeptical about the cakes at Lady M. They only offer a few varieties of cakes and coffee, yet there is always a crazy long line that wraps around the block. Several people I know have raved about it, but being a baker, I was not sold.

The premise of the bakery is Japanese French fusion and the result is light, delightfully not overly sweet cakes. Their signature Mille Crepes feature twenty paper thin crepes layered with the lightest pastry cream with the top of the cake bruleed. You will feel like you are biting into a creamy cloud. I also tried their Gateau Fromage, which is this lovely light cheesecake with a shortbread crust. The shortbread crust is such a nice, buttery change to the graham cracker crust we are all used to.

I walked in with total disbelief that waiting in the long line for these cakes would be worth it, but after the first bite, I was completely sold and have since been back. That is two visits in one week and braving that line, but I would absolutely do it again. The bakery is worth the hype and the sweet treats are different than any other desserts for sale in Los Angeles. I like that they are not super sweet because it offers that perfect little bite of sweetness that I crave after a meal. I do not feel overly full after having this post dinner.

Lady M is a must try, and even though the selection may look underwhelming, trust me and take a slice. You will experience bliss in a bite.

The boutique in LA is located at 8718 W 3rd St right by Robertson Blvd. 424-279-9495

The first time I saw a green juice I thought it looked so unappetizing. I wanted nothing to do with it. My friends urged me to try sips of their juices here and there and I would comply, but was never sold. That is until I discovered Pressed Juicery several years ago.

The store let me sample all the flavors I wanted and educated me on the benefits of each blend. I was on cold pressed juice overload. I enjoyed Greens 2 and the Almond milk the best, so purchased those and had a blissful start to my juice obsession.

Let me back up and give you a little background on Pressed Juicery, or as I like to refer to it, my happy place. The company was founded by partners Hayden Slater, Hedi Gores, and Carly de Castro. They were in search of a way to give modern gals like me a convenient way to help lead a healthy life on the go. Pressed Juicery sells their juices by the bottle, in smoothie form, and in a cleanse package. They offer a loyalty program where on your 10th visit, you get a free juice.

The flavors are bold, fresh, invigorating, and cleansing. The bright colors and flavors sing to me from my fridge urging me to start my day the healthy way. I drink them straight out of the bottle or sometimes make a smoothie out of them. One of my favorite smoothie blends is Greens 1, a banana, and a bit of almond or coconut milk. It is creamy, smooth, and delicious.

My current favorite flavors are as follow:

Greens 1: kale, spinach, celery, parsley, romaine, and cucumber

Coconut Cinnamon: coconut meat, coconut water, cinnamon

rhubarb, strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, pineapple

The good news is Pressed Juicery can be shipped all over the US and the average price of a bottle is $6.50

Juice Served Here is another one of my favorite juice spots here in LA. One plus about the juices here is they come packaged in a eco friendly glass bottle and they have a recycling program. For every 10 bottles you bring back, you get a free juice. Now the juices are a bit more expensive than Pressed Juicery, but you get a bit more per serving and they have interesting flavors, one of which includes detoxifying charcoal and another being soup in a bottle.

Cream Party which is one of the BEST things I have ever tasted and contains young coconut meat and mature coconut meat, pressed into a milk which is so smooth, creamy and delicious. I crave this often.

I love the South! All the gentlemen, lovely ladies and the Southern accents draw me in. The food cooked from scratch with premium ingredients and full fat butter are mouth watering. I especially love the dessert, Southern Banana Pudding.

Since I don’t live in the south, I need to get my fix somewhere and I often pop by Magnolia Bakery to satisfy my craving. They have perfected Banana Pudding and offer free samples for everyone who walks through the door. The bakery is an outpost of their flagship store in New York and I couldn’t be more pleased that there is a location in Los Angeles. The pudding has layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and vanilla pudding. I suspect there is some whipped cream folded into it to keep it light in texture.

This pudding is divine and is packaged in three sizes, mini, small, and large. The bakery also offers catering sizes for parties. I promise this sweet fluff will tanalize your tastebuds and have you craving it time and time again. So get on over to your closest location and snap up a carton or two, you will go bananas over it.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding is $3.50 for the mini, $5 for the small, and $6.50 for the large. Single bowl is $35 (serves 10) the double bowl is $60 (serves 20)